A global race is on to develop artificial intelligence -- and it matters enormously who wins. Another reminder of that fact came at the beginning of February when China started equipping its police officers with facial-recognition eyewear. Cameras mounted on sunglasses and linked to a police database will help officers track wanted criminals -- or, presumably, anyone else the Chinese government takes an interest in.

We’re just scratching the surface of what we can do with AI. Many of the AI entrepreneurs I work with believe there will be more advances in AI in the next five years than there have been in the last 30. A significant amount of money is also starting to flow into powerful quantum computers, which will be needed for their ability to deliver the data-crunching power required by increasingly complex AI systems.

Here’s why I believe Canada can retain its lead -- and why you should hope it does.

Canada Has The Talent To Win

With an acute global shortage of AI talent, everybody is looking to hire Ph.D.-level engineers -- and Canada has them. Universities in Toronto, Waterloo, Montreal and Edmonton have been investing heavily in AI research for years, and Canada now has one of the most significant concentrations of AI talent anywhere. Research labs are being set up across Canada to tap this talent and to bring in more.